FDNY EMSrs Get Burned On Fire Academy Transfer

[x635 4,066]

FDNY'S MEDICS BURN

By ANGELA MONTEFINISE

NYPost.com

A "severe staffing crisis" in the Fire Department's EMT division has cost a group of medics their promotions to the Fire Academy, according to their union — and they are not happy about it.

A group of 26 EMTs were slated to start at the academy tomorrow, but received word from their union Friday night that their promotions had gone up in smoke.

"We got a call out of the blue saying, 'Sorry, but you're not going to start at the academy after all,' " said one furious EMT, who has been waiting for 13 years to become a firefighter.

"This is my dream. I took the test. I took the physical. I resigned as an EMT. And now I have to go back?"

Bob Ungar, a representative of District Council 37's Local 2507 Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Union, said the pending closing of St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn — coupled with a huge number of EMTs being promoted to the academy — has caused a "severe shortage" of "men on the street."

"This is a tough thing, but the department planned to promote too many people," he said.

"Our union has been working with the Fire Department over the last week trying to get this crisis resolved, and they've taken several steps, including sending these 26 people back to EMT."

Ungar also said an overtime cap has been removed from the EMT division, allowing "personnel who want to work to fill in those empty seats."

EMTs who are affiliated with the FDNY are allowed to take a promotion test after a year on the job for a shot at being a firefighter.

An FDNY spokesman could not confirm negotiations with the union, but did confirm that 26 EMTs were being sent back.

He said the EMTs had not completed their one-year probation period — but two angry EMTs told The Post that's not true.

"I have worked so hard for this every day and then it's just taken away from me," said a furious EMT. "It's like getting a car and being all excited, and then having the dealership say, sorry, we have to take that back."

Patrick Bahnken, president of Local 2507, admitted that the move is "regrettable" and said, "It's hard that these guys are caught in the middle."

The 26 EMTs are supposed to report to Fort Totten in Queens this week to return their firefighter equipment.

Although many medics were told they'll be in the January Fire Academy class, one furious EMT said, "How do we know this won't happen again? It's just absolutely, positively wrong."

Edited September 25, 2005 by x635

[Guest]

That really sucks i hope all works out for all the 26 EMT's who are involved! Good Luck

[Guest SQUADco119]

That really bites the big one i guess there goes my idea of trying to get on firefighting in fdny LOL crap good luck guys. Maybe did they ever think to find people for the emt openings then promote people no thats just to reaso nable for us!

[tbendick 27]

The other side of the story is that they are short EMT's in a big way.

1st the EMT's leave all the time for other jobs.

2nd NYPD class takes a few EMT's each time

Now this time they were taking a lot of EMT's to go into FIRE

and St. Marys Hospital shutdown and now FDNY is taking it over. This has caused big staffing problems in EMS.

[ny10570 745]

It sucks, its not fair, but oo f-ing bad. I don't know anyone out there that hasn't lost a promotion for some bullsh*t reason or another. Assuming everything works out, I expect to be entering that Jan. EMS class for the express purpose of ecoming a firefighter a year later. Even I understand that passing the test and even getting into a class is not a guarentee of a position. You were hired to do a job that i sfacing a period of high demand. you asked to be released from your duties. They've said wait a few months. Thats pretty reasonable if you ask me.

[Guest aussiegeorge]

it seems funny to me(i know i'm from the other side of the world)that going from emt to firefighter is seen as a promotion,yes granted that i am a firefighter who would not like the job of a emt,over here in australia we have just as many who apply to be medics as apply to be firefighters and in fact its the same here as in los angles where paramedics get paid a lot better wage than a firefighter(and so they should as there work load is so much greater)also how can the dept not transfer a emt over to being a firefighter if they pass all the relivent tests isn't that against a anti discrimanation laws i'm sure you have.cheers from down under.

[ny10570 745]

they aren't being descriminated against. The promotion isn't being denied to them and its not a few out of the group that are being held back. The promotion was delayed for all of them.

[firecapt32 282]

apparently all are scheduled to return to the fire academy for the next class. what's more disturbing is that the first week 14 could not pass the run and were dropped.

" GET EM TRAINED KEEP EM TRAINED"

[Guest]

so did the emt's get shut out of the sept. class or not? the only reason being is that i find it a little odd that 240 entered the academy in sept and they only used up about 291 names on list#2043 usually there's a ratio of about 2:1. any suggestions

[tbendick 27]

Some not all of the EMT's went in. There was a group that was left back.

[Guest]

Im sorry for the 26 ems people and i hope it all gets worked out but i do agree its not fair so good luck

[Guest]

how many do you think will enter the academy is january?

[Guest]

Try the front door, not the back door!

[Guest]

Try the front door, not the back door!

←

i've been wait for someone to open the front door for 4 years and now it looks like i'll be wait a little longer because of that back door

[4truck48 25]

Life isn't fair. 25000 ( all of whom want the job ) people take the REAL test for the FDNY and about 2500 get hired. Don't feel sorry for a few who try and sneak in trough the back door and get disapointed because their" promotions" are held up for a couple of months. If you can't pass the regular test then maybe you dont deserve the job.

[Guest]

Life isn't fair. 25000 ( all of whom want the job ) people take the REAL test for the FDNY and about 2500 get hired. Don't feel sorry for a few who try and sneak in trough the back door and get disapointed because their" promotions" are held up for a couple of months. If you can't pass the regular test then maybe you dont deserve the job.

←

you misunderstood me i'm not on the promotional list im on the ff list i just wanted to know how many emts will enter the jan class if any happens to know

[Guest]

first of all i think it is an insult to say that it is a promotion from paramedic to firefighter,as for taking test i would love to see some one pass a paramedic test without the class, gee EMS getting screwed by fire i dont believe that....note the sarcasm........

[ny10570 745]

first of all i think it is an insult to say that it is a promotion from paramedic to firefighter,as for taking test i would love to see some one pass a paramedic test without the class, gee EMS getting screwed by fire i dont believe that....note the sarcasm........

←

It is absolutely a promotion. Better pay and better working conditions. No one said it was a more technically challenging postion. Just a more desirable one. And by desirable I am going by the thousands who apply every 4 years for the fire exam compared to the hundreds who sign up for the EMS exams.